Page 132 of Drunk on Love

“Avery. It’s not the same.”

She kept talking.

“And I’ve been so happy since we broke up! Yes, it’s been really hard, and I’ve felt scared, a lot. But I’ve also been so much happier, Luke. I’ve felt guilty for how happy I’ve been. And I know you’ve been so much happier since you quit that job, don’t even try to pretend you haven’t been.”

He had been. But that had mostly been about Margot.

But... not all about Margot.

“Wait,” Avery said. “Did Margot want you to take this job? What did she say about the interview?”

He’d always fucking known Avery was a mind reader.

“Do we have to talk about that now?”

“Oh no,” she said.

“What does that mean?” he asked.

“What did you do?” she asked.

“Why is that the question?” he asked. “Why is it what didIdo? Couldn’t she have done something? Why aren’t you asking me, your best friend, what she did?”

“Luke. What did you do?”

He cut over into a faster lane.

“Nothing! She got pissed at me, just because I hadn’tmentioned the job interview to her until last Sunday morning.” He sighed. “And I sort of hadn’t told her that I led my mom to believe you and I were dating.”

“WHAT?” He was surprised no one in the cars around him turned at Avery’s yell. “You didn’t tell her about that!?”

He should have known she would react like this.

“You don’t have to say it like that. I meant to tell her, I just... forgot.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell her that,” Avery said. “I can’t believe I was out there pretending to be your girlfriend and your real girlfriend didn’t even know! I was a fake other woman?”

He laughed, despite himself.

“You were not a fake other woman. She didn’t think we were actually together. But...”

Avery sighed.

“Okay.” Her voice was brisk. “Come straight here.”

He didn’t want to be an asshole, but there was no way he could go over to Avery’s place and have a heart-to-heart about all of this right now.

“Thanks, really, but...”

She cut him off.

“I’m leaving now to get the fried chicken. Think about what movie you want to watch. See you soon.”

Oh, thank goodness.

“Spicy please, dark meat only, and so many biscuits my stomach will hurt tomorrow.”

“Do you think you have to tell me any of that?” She hung up.

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